


Hair of Wooloo

by TheAzureFox



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Based off a comic, F/F, F/M, Gloria wants to pet Bede's hair, Touch-Starved, Touchy-Feely, and Bede is Really Unsure about all of that, i'm just writing a fanfic off a fancomic, none of this is really any of my idea lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 13:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21137450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAzureFox/pseuds/TheAzureFox
Summary: In which Gloria wants to pet Bede's hair and Bede just wants to be far away from her.





	Hair of Wooloo

**Author's Note:**

> This entire fanfic is based off of this fanart here: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/77190446. I don't know the language but I can infer a lot of what's going down in this comic so I thought it would it would be fun to write a story for this and translate it based on how I interpreted it. Feel free to read this comic first if you haven't already or read this fanfic first than go back to the comic. It doesn't really matter which u do first but just know that this fanfic is completely defined by that fanart lmao
> 
> I also cover everything in here except for the image w/ Hop and Gloria (bc that's hard to write into context for this fanfic) and the scene where Bede has somehow got Gloria on his lap to chastise her (which, god, I would've included but again hard to put into context of this fanfic).
> 
> Ngl this comic has brought me such joy considering it's legit the first piece of fanart for my OTP and I am,,, just so happy to see more stuff for BedexGloria (Also this artist's interpretation of Bede is just,,, really cute,,, and I love the way they draw him so so much)
> 
> Despite that tho I am keeping this true to the comic so I've added the MarniexGloria and HopxGloria pairings that the original artist has in. Main focus is on BedexGloria and I've taken the liberty with some aspects of the comic in order to fill in parts I didn't understand or needed explanation to keep the flow of the story.
> 
> With that said: Enjoy

Things start out innocently enough.

Bede runs into Gloria on route 11, hiking through the winding trail of the Overglow Mountains when he stumbles upon the girl. After a brief conversation that had ended with him admitting his exhaustion on the long climb up, she drags him into joining her camp while she waits on the return of her friends from up the mountain.

“And why do you think I’ll camp with you?” was the question that’d immediately left his mouth at the girl’s request. After all, time was precious to Bede. So precious, in fact, that he can’t help but tap his foot as he awaits the girl’s response.

“Because you’re a good person. And, you wouldn’t leave a poor helpless damsel in distress all alone in the mountains now, would you?”

Gloria states it like she’s the weakest person in existence – a mere child whose wandering whims have put her in the path of peril. Yet, as Bede side-eyes her team – which consists of a group of Lucario, a Leafeon, a Scorbunny, and a Vibrava – he finds himself shaking his head at her dramatics.

“You’re clearly capable of handling yourself,” he says, snapping a finger in the direction of her powerful Pokémon – all of whom are glaring at him with hackles raised. “I’m not needed here.”

“Fine.” The girl’s voice morphs from a tone of woe to a lilt of annoyance. “Let’s do things your way.”

She grabs Bede’s hand, forcing him into the ring of her hostile Pokémon, and forces him to sit on the ground. He relents without a fight, sensing Gloria will just use her Pokémon to scare him into submission if he doesn’t. And, considering he doesn’t want any engage in any unnecessary battles that’ll make it impossible to get off the Overglow Mountains, he stays put.

Bede sighs, propping his elbow on his knees and his head on a fist. His rival rolls her eyes at the glare in his eyes, pulling out a feather toy to play with her Scorbunny. It indulges her with a yip, batting at the feathered end, while the rest of Gloria’s Pokémon prowl closer to Bede, narrowing their eyes and lashing their tails.

Not willing to submit to his fate, Bede releases his Pokémon. Reuniclus is quick to sense it’s master’s distress, forming a glove of pink light around its right fist to ward off Gloria’s creatures. The rest of his Pokémon – Corviknight, Ninetales, Alcremie and Manectric – audibly growl at the sight of their competitors.

Sensing the power of Bede’s strongest Pokémon, Gloria’s falter, retreating to their owner’s side with wary eyes attached to the boy. He sneers at them, relieved of their presence, and pets his creatures as they curl around his feet.

Gloria scowls at him, stopping in her games to take a seat across from him. Ninetales lifts its head, growling, but does little else to dissuade Gloria from doing as she pleases.

And, unfortunately for the both of them, Gloria is _never_ dissuaded from doing what she wants.

So, alas, he begrudgingly gives into his fate, leaning on the palms of his hands as he scans the girl, appraising her. She does the same for him, inevitably curious about whatever thoughts lay in his brain.

If he were willing to cross a line, perhaps he’d activate his powers and read into her mind. Though reading minds wasn’t a past-time of his, it was certainly an idea he entertained in the presence of his rival.

Gloria was unpredictable: the coming of a storm that he would never ever know about. Crossing paths with her was likely to put him in so many places. And, in fact, crossing paths with her _has _put him in so many places. Uncomfortable ones, at that. Especially when he got his ass handed to him in a Pokémon Battle. Those were always the peak of the most uncomfortable times to him.

But to decipher the code of her mind, to read the breadcrumbs of thoughts that passed the brain of a girl hellbent on fulfilling her heart’s whimsical desires, was a line that Bede did not want to cross.

Not that he wasn’t curious: he was, mind you. There was something to be admired, after all, about the enigmatics of a rival steeped in the cynicisms of a foreign-born mindset.

Unlike the rest of Galar, Gloria had no mind to participate in the cult of sports mentality that ricocheted throughout Galar’s culture. She was an oddity in that she grew up in a region without stadiums or sports, a region whose mere _idea_ of a sport was dressing up Pokémon and making them dance. And, for her to come under the wings of the Galar Region…well, he couldn’t say he didn’t blame her for constantly dismissing the grandeur of Gym Challenging life.

Yet, that doesn’t stop Bede from being ceaselessly baffled by her. Gloria is a mystery that he has a hard time wrapping his head around. Unlike Marnie or Hop, each of whom he can read really well by their mannerisms and sense of passion, Gloria was a misnomer. Her calculating ways mixed with her unfortunate ability of roping others into her bidding always puzzled him. She had a strange way about her of getting what she wanted – even if half the time Bede was pretty sure she was aware that what she wanted frequently crossed the line for many people.

Absently, he twirls a strand of his white hair around a finger. Lost in his musings, he hardly notices the way Gloria peers at him, eyes alight in a strange glow as she asks:

“Can I touch your hair?”

His immediate instinct is to fluster. Red dawns upon his face, trepidation and hesitation mixing into one whole pile of confusion. He cocks his head at her, willing his embarrassment away, while he scrutinizes her with squinting eyes.

“I don’t see a reason why you can.”

This sends his rival frowning. Gloria crosses her arms, almost pouting, before she tries again.

“Your hair reminds me of a Wooloo,” she says, not at all abashed about such a strange confession. His cheeks flush redder with uncertainty and, if he’s honest, Bede’s not sure how to approach the stars in her gaze as she leans towards him. “It looks so soft. I want to touch it.”

Here, his squinting turns into narrowed eyes. “I’m not a Pokémon you can pet.” He says. “So no.”

The girl falters, leaning back with a pout.

“What if I battle you?”

Despite his adamancy to remain firm on the topic, the word _battle_ piques his attention like no other. He turns to her, inevitably ensnared in the trappings of whatever plot she’s planning as he asks: “And what do I get in return?”

“What?” Gloria tilts her head.

“If you win, I’ll let you touch my…my _hair_,” he swallows the weirdness of those words. “But if I win, what do_ I_ get?”

She seems to ponder that for a bit. He watches her, holding his ground, when he watches the way her eyes light up with determination as she says: “I’ll let you go on your way. I won’t hold you hostage here.”

And that – _that_ is a compromise Bede is willing to make. So, he beckons to his Reuniclus, urging it to this side as he holds out a hand.

“Deal.”

Gloria holds out her own hand. “Three on three?”

“Sure.”

She takes his hand. Shakes it. “Then we have a deal.”

Gloria whistles to her Leafeon. The cream creature hops to service, turning its nose up at Bede as it struts forward. Bede calls Reuniclus to stand in front of him and it does. Gloria takes a few steps back, establishing a makeshift battle field, and calls out her attacks.

Bede follows, making sure to set up a few tricks along the way. Trick Room, Reflect, and Light Screen all make their appearance, establishing a fortification around Reuniclus as Leafeon batters away at the creature’s health.

Eventually, however, Reuniclus falters to the pressure. Leafeon takes it out but it’s sacrifice is not in vain. He calls Ninetales to his side, letting the kitsune Heat Wave his opponent into unconsciousness.

Gloria sends out her Vibrava, smiling proudly at the amiable creature as it shuffles forward with a buzz of its wings. The bug cocks its head back and forth, appraising Ninetales, before it burrows into the ground beneath it.

However, Bede is prepared, ordering a Protect. Ninetales does as it is told, a blue shield forming like a cocoon over the kitsune. The cream creature waits, letting Vibrava strike underneath it, before it bounces away, its shield shattering, and spreads its nine tails.

Extrasensory hits Vibrava hard, sending the poor thing fluttering back as it tumbles into Gloria’s arms. Its antennae wave, its tail wagging, and it dives forward, flapping its wings with a furious buzz as it summons pillars of dirt. Ninetales tries to avoid them, dancing its way backwards, before a pillar hits it straight in the stomach. It flies up into the air, unconscious, and Bede has the mind to recall it before it hits the ground.

“Two to two!” Gloria shouts, grinning widely.

“Alcremie!” Bede calls.

The whipped cream Pokémon slinks its way forward, fussing over its ceaselessly dripping body as it does so. A waft of perfume hits Bede’s nose and he realizes the poor creature is nervous, eyeing Vibrava with a frown oozing from its head.

Still, Bede knows Alcremie will do as he commands. So, he orders up a Moonblast, letting the creature create a pearl of energy that slams into Vibrava. Pink glittering sparkles pop off of Vibrava’s scaled skin, sending the creature writhing in the ground as it flails from the damage.

But Gloria isn’t one to give up so easily. She orders a Toxic from her Vibrava, letting it summon the pool of toxins that catches Alcremie off-guard. The fairy whines, steam coiling off its body at the touch of purple liquid, and Bede realizes he now as a time limit. He calls for another Moonblast and, thankfully, it’s enough to take Vibrava out.

“Return!” Gloria recalls her creature. “Go! Lucario!”

Bede frowns, watching as the blue and black jackal appears by its trainers side, cracking its knuckles. Bede has a feeling of forebode wash over him and he’s not at all surprised to hear Gloria shout “Metal Claw!” at the creature.

Lucario dashes forward, nails extending from its paws into daggers of silver. Alcremie whimpers, trying to avoid the blow, but Lucario moves too fast. It strikes Alcremie and sends the poor creature flying back.

Alcremie faints and Bede is forced to recall it. From his side, Manectric growls, sensing its master’s distress and looking to aid him. He holds up a hand and it reluctantly relents, eyeing Gloria with contempt as the girl approaches.

“I won,” the girl says, all smiles and laughs as she stops in front of him.

Gloria leans close to Bede, a singsong hum in her throat as she reaches up her hands. Bede steps backwards, suddenly regretting his inability to win as the girl leans in closer. His heart quivers in his chest as Gloria gets way too close, the soft wool of her sleeve brushing past his cheeks as fingers, long and thin, thread through his hair with a gentle touch.

Fire burns in the spots where Gloria’s fingers meet his scalp. Something tingly dances on his head, warm and fuzzy and causing his emotions to contort into a cluster of unwanted desires.

His face furnishes itself with blazing heat as he faces Gloria’s happy face. The girl is smiling, blissful, and something about the way she’s staring, eyes alight in kindled joy, sends his stomach flipping with ecstatic unease.

When Gloria is done, she pulls away, looking quite content with the stunt she has pulled. Bede watches her, feeling strangely disappointed by the coolness settling on his scalp.

“That’s all I wanted,” she says, beaming vividly. “I want hold you up any more, Bede. You can go now.”

He eyes her, uncertain of the sudden reluctance she holds to show him hostage. However, when Gloria makes no move to persuade him otherwise, he calls to Manectric and Corviknight and takes his leave.

He can feel the girl’s gaze on his back as he does so, her eyes ever-watching as he turns around a corner and wonders just why, exactly, he feels both annoyed and yet craving for more.

* * *

**Bonus:**

When Bede next meets Gloria, it’s at the Wild Area, just underneath the crumbling watchtower that sits just below the westernmost cliffs of the looming landscape. There, Marnie and Hop are sidled up alongside her, eyeing him with vehement dislike as Gloria bounds up to him.

“Bede!”

She greets him with a voice that has him instantly wondering what her game is. The girl pauses in front of him, hovering, before she lifts up a hand and, at once, he can tell what it is she wants. His gaze hardens with static, expression flattening, and he offers her a muted glare as he says: “Gloria. No.”

Her hand shakes at his words, becoming personified into the definition of needy. Bede can read the avarice on her face as she stares at him with wide, shiny eyes, trembling hand ever so bravely reaching up as he watches her.

Sighing, he brings up his own hand to cup her chin, thumb hovering in the air as he leans close to her. She tilts her head in his grip, eyebrows furrowing just the slightest. The surprise twinkling in her eyes is enough to alleviate his sense of annoyance as he scowls at her.

“You know, it’s quite rude to touch someone’s hair without permission. But-“ and he adds this for his own benefit, hoping to dissuade the girl whose wandering fingers are getting closer and closer to his head “-if you want to touch my hair, I might just ask for a kiss in return.”

"K-Kiss?" At this, Gloria’s face brightens with a befuddled shade of crimson. The girl widens her eyes, pulling back from his grip, and Bede can see literal swirls of confusion in her eyes as she processes his words.

“Back off from her you wretch!”

Instantly, Marnie pulls Gloria away from him. She clutches both of the girl’s hands, expression worried. “Are you okay?” Marnie asks, voice almost doting in nature. “He’s being mean to you.”

“I’m fine!” Gloria waves her hands in front of her. “But I’m curious, why do I need to kiss him to touch his hair?”

“You don’t,” Marnie says, voice now taking on a lilt of comfort. “I’m pretty sure he was just trying to take advantage of you.”

“Oh no. Bede wouldn’t do that, would he?”

“I’m most certain he would!”

Bede watches the exchange with a flat stare, not at all amused by the dramatics of Gloria and her friends. He rolls his shoulders, sighing, when Hop looms over him.

“You have no right to talk to Gloria like that!” The boy says, pointing a finger at him in accusation.

Bede huffs. “Not my problem. If she wants to touch my hair she has to pay the price.”

Hop looks at him with an odd mixture of a look – anger and envy spilling into a cauldron of golden eyes – before he takes off to push Marnie aside and hug Gloria close to him. This sends Marnie into a tizzy, the girl berating Hop for interfering.

Somehow, Bede feels like he should be shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose with exasperation. Instead, his gaze drifts to Gloria, watching as she’s tugged between the punk girl and the jean jacket-wearing boy. The girl looks mildly confused over their banter, staying quiet as she watches them both with wide eyes. Bede can’t shake the idea that she’s somehow enjoying the spectacle she's creating.

Then, Gloria catches his eyes, smiling, and he wonders why his stomach flips suddenly. The girl shrugs her shoulders at him before she turns to Marnie and Hop. She reaches for Marnie’s hands, bringing her close, before she presses her cheek against Marnie’s. The girl instantly relaxes into the touch, her argument with Hop forgotten, when Gloria slips from her side to Hop’s. She bumps his fist, grinning, and when Marnie turns to argue rather jealously with the boy, Gloria slides to Bede’s side and hugs him.

He stills, blinking furiously, before he feels her breath against the lashes of his eyes as she nuzzles the side of his head with affection. His face puffs red and, ready to die right then and there, he stiffens immensely as one of Gloria’s arms wraps around his neck while the other one tightens against his body.

“Your hair is so soft,” Gloria says, voice whispering in the gleeful voice of a child. “Can I just touch it forever? Please?”

He doesn’t have the guts to refuse as he sighs and says:

“_Fine_.”

To his surprise, something feathery brushes over his cheeks. He blinks, turning to her, but Gloria has already pulled away, a cunning smile on her lips.

“Thank you!” She says in a lilt of something all too devious. She runs her hands through his hair again, beaming, and Bede can’t help but think he’s somehow been fooled into submission.

Gloria dances back, arms behind her waist, before she turns to regroup with Hop and Marnie. The two turn to him, viciously bristling like a pair of cats, before they escort Gloria away.

The boy touches his cheek, bewildered, and thinks the feeling of lips upon his skin is actually kind of nice.

**Author's Note:**

> I finished this today and am procrastinating on reading from my textbook so I will,,, stop procrastinating now that this is done,,, and go back to studying,,, I promise,,, and then I'll catch up on everything else later when im not dying from reading dense stuff hell,,, ha,,, ha,,
> 
> anyways!!
> 
> Bede is touch-starved in this fic but totes in denial about it yeet. This is also my new favorite headcanon for him and I don't think I want to part with it any time soon gfjhgfhj
> 
> Also, Gloria acts dumb here but I have half a mind to think she’s faking it to get her way. I mean??? I know the common interpretation of her is a starry-eyed youth just out living her life full of fun but,,, just think,,, what if she's faking that personality,,, to get her way,,, no one can say to her wants and wishes if she's a cute ball of dumb yet happy fluff after all,,


End file.
